


You Are My Sunshine

by nsfdoyoung



Category: NCT (Band), WayV (Band)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Aside from that everything else is T, Blood Magic, Blood and Violence, But Jisung technically isn't a baby, Canon-Typical Violence, Demons, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Moon Taeil, Minor Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Moon Taeil/Nakamoto Yuta, Minor Moon Taeil/Nakamoto Yuta, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Parenthood, Past Jang Yeeun/Lee Jeno - Freeform, Rating May Change, Rating: PG13, Royalty, SAO AU, Spells & Enchantments, Swordfighting, Tags May Change, There's a tiiiny bit of soft core in Chapter 6, Trans Male Character, Uchinoko AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2020-11-24 14:03:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20908859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsfdoyoung/pseuds/nsfdoyoung
Summary: Freshly twenty years of age, with an impressive list of deeds under his belt and a bright future ahead of him, world-renowned warrior Jaemin Na is faced with the most daunting quest man has ever faced: parenting a highly intelligent demon boy named Jisung who is apparently the runaway heir to the throne who asks his help to save his father, Demon King Jeno, after a violent usurpation.Who is the handsome man asking for Jaemin’s help in his dreams? Is it really Jisung’s “Papa”? And can Jisung stop calling Jaemin “Mama”?!An Uchinoko+SAO inspired fantasy story.





	1. Premiere Chapitre

**Author's Note:**

> I’m back with my bullshit with an absolutely new chaptered fic that no one aside from me knows was being made, LOL. Youtube recommended I watch [ Uchinoko ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_It%27s_for_My_Daughter,_I%27d_Even_Defeat_a_Demon_Lord) and it got me absolutely hooked, and now I’m currently reading the light novels. For those who know how the light novels end, this won’t follow that specific story all that closely, aside from the very young human warrior adopts a demon-child plot. I was also inspired by the Sword Art Online ALO Arc, with Kirito going out to save his “wife” Asuna with the help of their AI “daughter” Yui. I also took a lot of elements from Uchinoko, like demon tribes/kingdoms, spell casting, adventurers, etc, but I’ll be replacing names of places, things, etc as well as some details as well. I’ll tag it as an Uchinoko AU anyway, to make sure. So, I hope y’all enjoy this one, too!

Jaemin releases another sigh as he hunts for any small game for a late dinner. He’s in the middle of Limitless Forest, looking for any stray animal that he can use to whip up something quick. This current job took up more time than he’d expected to finish it, and he’s at least half a day’s worth of travel away from the nearest Boom City gates that he wouldn’t have managed to return to Paradise Inn before dawn.

He’s thankful that his brother-in-law Taeil always insists he was always packed and ready for any emergency camping or rest-stops. Jaemin can never count on his brother Yuta for anything, the jerk. And his other brother-in-law Sicheng was also out-of-town for a performance to be of any help to his preparations.

To his left, Jaemin hears a bit of noise behind some tall bushes, and so he follows the sounds to peak from between the foliage. What he sees makes his breath nearly catch in his throat.

"What the...?"

It was a platinum-haired woman laying on the floor, heavily bleeding, and seemingly at the brink of death with her closed eyes and shallow breathing. Beside her was the source of the sounds: a little blonde boy quietly crying into his arms as he curled up into a small ball.

Jaemin was surprised enough that he stepped backward, unknowingly breaking some detritus afoot and creating some cracking noise.

The little boy’s head whips to his direction, fearful, while the woman opens her eyes and accurately meets Jaemin’s, even in her poor state.

[_Come… out, please…_] She says in a foreign language, and that’s when it hits Jaemin: they weren’t ordinary humans. They were _demons_. He finally notices the curved, ebony-black horns hidden in her messy, short platinum hair, as well as the small black nubs nestled in the boy's golden curls.

Jaemin hesitates for a moment but then shakes his head. Demons or not, they needed help.

Despite being a warrior for some time now, Jaemin hasn't had many interactions with demons aside from a handful of travelling non-conforming hopefuls. Demons as a race didn't tend to interact all that much with other species due to constant infighting for Demon kingdom hierarchy and being generally at peace with the rest of the world.

Jaemin gathers the strength of heart to move. He steps out of the bushes, taking note of the woman’s wounds, either from a wild animal, or whatever circumstance had put them into Limitless Forest, so far away from any neighboring Demon country.

He also visually examines the boy, taking note of his tiny stature, his thin body swallowed by the remains of his robes. The child never lets his eyes stray from Jaemin, silently watching him even when the human warrior returns his sight to the woman.

He stops some steps away, but the woman winces and closes her eyes in pain as she tries to speak. [_Closer… come…_]

Jaemin nods, and cautiously approaches until he’s by her side opposite the boy. He kneels on the forest floor a forearm's length away from her.

[_Would you like me to heal you, Miss?_] he offers, preparing to cast some healing spells, but she shakes her head minutely.

[_No… need…_] she whispers. [_It is… a waste…_]

She looks instead to the boy beside her. [_My prince… I must… go… now…_]

[_Mama!?_] the boy shouts, making Jaemin jump.

_She’s his mom_, Jaemin thinks, feeling sad for the boy. _She’s really at the end of her rope, though. She’s so strong to still be able to talk._

[_Your… name…?_] she asks, eyes watery. Jaemin can’t say no to that.

[_My name is_ Jaemin Na_, Miss._]

[_Sir… Jaemin…_] she says, eyes on Jaemin. [_Please… take care… of the prince…_]

_If he’s her mom, why doesn’t she call him her son?_ Jaemin thinks to himself, but outwardly he says [_I will, Miss._]

At the confirmation, she raises one hand, and Jaemin puts his one of his own palm-up over it at the silent request, thinking nothing of it aside from maybe a grateful shake of the hand.

He realizes he’s sorely mistaken when she brings down her other hand claws out and makes four gashes on his palm, before covering it with her hands, mixing their blood together.

_Blood magic…?!_ Jaemin faintly thinks before the woman starts casting a spell.

[_Junmian-shinnim, God Life-giving Water, Patron of Families, I call upon you. At the death of Jang Yeeun, create a bond between _Jaemin Na_ and Lee Jisung transcending that of parent and child. <Blood Soul Transfer>_]

Yeeun Jang uses her final breath to make Jaemin her child’s new mother.


	2. Deuxième Chapitre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin and Jisung reach Boom City before noon the next day.

Jaemin and Jisung reach Boom City before noon the next day. The boy is dozing in his arms, tired from being woken up so early to be able to return to civilization before dark and walking on uneven forest terrain by himself for the whole morning.

Jaemin had asked him if he wanted to rest at least once every hour, with the boy refusing help each and every time. The moment they finally do make a stop by the river separating Boom City from Limitless Forest, the boy falls into an exhausted nap the moment he sits down.

The adventurer chuckles at the boy – his boy, now, his _son_ – before gently picking him up and continuing on his way, Jisung napping the whole time.

Jaemin notes how skinny the little demon boy really is, feeling determined to put some meat on his bones now that he’s responsible for the child as his parent.

When Jaemin sees the gates, he prepares two coins as the toll fee to enter the city.

“Oh, Jaemin, it’s you,” the guard says. He takes note of the child Jaemin is carrying. “You weren’t gone long enough to be in demon territory; where did you find the kid?”

“His mother perished on their way here to seek asylum from the infighting in their kingdom,” Jaemin says, already trying to endear the boy to a resident of Boom City. No doubt news will spread to the other soldiers in the City Guard. Many of the city protectors were parents; it’ll be easier for Jisung while growing up in Boom City if the law enforcement didn’t think it was suspicious that a demon child was roaming by himself in a predominantly human city.

“I found them after I finished the job, and adopted him, seeing as he’s alone now,” Jaemin explains.

“Demon kingdoms’ infighting,” the guard clicks his tongue, putting Jaemin and Jisung’s toll payment into the collection box beside him. “That’s some nasty, yet unavoidable business; poor kid.”

Jaemin hums in agreement. “See you at the Inn soon, Bin?”

Bin Moon, a relative of his brother-in-law Taeil, nods. “Yeah, tonight.”

“Alright, I’ll tell Taeil,” Jaemin promises. “Thanks, Bin.”

“Take care, pal.”

* * *

Jaemin enters Paradise Inn through the back door.

“I’m back,” he calls out. “Yuta? Taeil?”

A head pops through the door leading into the bar and dining area of the Inn’s ground floor.

“Oh, Jaemin, welcome back!” A soft warm voice greets him back.

“Thanks, Taeil,” Jaemin returns, trying to put down his things without dropping Jisung. “Bin says he’s dropping by later, by the way.”

“I see; thanks,” Taeil says as he enters the back-kitchen area where Jaemin is.

Jisung wakes up from his nap in that moment, sight blurry from sleep and exhaustion. He whimpers when he takes note of the unfamiliar surrounding and the stranger looking at him curiously with kind eyes. When he finally registers Jaemin’s face, the boy throws his arms around the adventurer’s neck and buries his face into his collarbones.

“Well, hello, there,” Taeil remarks as he approaches, not too near, amused and curious. “Who might this be? I didn’t know you went out for an extraction job.”

Jaemin shakes his head. “I didn’t,” he says, adjusting the boy in his arms to show him his brother-in-law.

[_Jisung,_] he calls out to the boy, pointing to the inn owner. [_This is _Taeil-_hyung, he is my brother’s spouse._]

[_Brother’s… spouse? Married?_] The boy asks him, thinking deeply. [_Brother-in-law?_]

[_Is that how you call the man married to your sibling? _Brother-in-law?] Jaemin asks, not perfectly fluent in demon language. [_You call him brother-in-law? Is that right?_]

Jisung nods in approval, before shyly looking to the man patiently watching their conversation. [_Hello, _Taeil-_hyung, I am Jisung_.]

“Jisung? Is that your name?” Taeil asks, picking out some basic words that he knows.

“That’s right,” Jaemin nods, putting Jisung down to sit on a stool. “I found him and his mother on my way home, and apparently I have a son, now.”

“You mean you adopted him?” Taeil asks, starting on preparing plates from leftovers from the inn’s lunch rush for the two to eat.

“I mean his dying mother used blood magic to seal us together,” Jaemin says, cringing at the older man’s half-sad, half-horrified expression. “She changed my blood’s ‘soul’ in a way that I still share blood with Yuta, but I now also have the same blood as Jisung.

As far as anyone is concerned, I’m technically his blood mother now.”

* * *

Yuta finds Jaemin giving Jisung a bath after he arrives from some errands around the city.

“Taeil told me you got yourself a kid?” he asks, peering at the said kid playing with the soapy water in the bathtub. Their family’s bathroom, located behind the kitchen, is separated from the ones at both sides of the inn to be used by the guests.

Jaemin grunts out an agreement, picking up a small bucket of water to start rinsing the boy.

“You’re an uncle now, Yuta,” he teases, carefully scrubbing around the base of Jisung’s horns to get all the soap out of his hair.

“This is all levels of bizarre,” Yuta notes, stepping nearer. “But I’m not as surprised as I should be, knowing how crazy it could get out there.”

He puts down a stack of clothes onto a stool next to Jaemin.

“Wise words from a man who’s left the adventuring world,” Jaemin comments. He looks at the stack. “What are those?”

“Some of your old clothes that I pulled out from storage,” Yuta explains. “Mom and Dad took a lot of our old stuff with them when they moved to the countryside, but they luckily left some behind.”

“Thanks,” he says, now focusing on Jisung who has finally noticed he and Jaemin aren’t alone in the bathroom anymore.

[_Jisung, this is my brother, _Yuta_-hyung,_] he introduces, pointing with his thumb behind him as he dries Jisung up with a towel. [Taeil_-hyung’s spouse._]

“Hello,” Yuta says with his famous ‘healing’ smile, waving a hand at the boy.

Jisung cocks his head to the side as Jaemin puts him in a shirt and shorts. “H-hell-ow…?”

Jaemin looks at the boy in surprise. “Oh, you spoke in Western continental?”

He then shoots his brother a sulking pout. “I can’t believe Jisung’s first words in WesCon is for you, Yuta!”

“How does it feel, then, that your son’s first words were for his uncle?” Yuta teases, his smile growing wider.

“I feel like I’ve been robbed of a great treasure,” he complains, fixing Jisung’s hair as he continues to pout.

Jisung stares at Jaemin’s gloomy expression. [_Mama angry?_]

Jaemin’s pout turns into an amused smile. [_Not angry, just jealous that your first greeting was for _Uncle Yuta.]

“Un-cle Yuta?” Jisung asks, looking at the smiling man behind his adoptive parent.

“Yeah, I’m Uncle Yuta,” is the confirmation.

“Yuta, you better scram if you’re going to keep stealing so many of my son’s firsts from me,” Jaemin complains as he puts on some of his old shoes onto Jisung’s feet, noting they were a bit big on the boy.

[_And Jisung,_] he says as he meets the boy’s eyes, hands cradling his face. [_Call me Papa._]

The boy shakes his head. [_No, Jisung’s Mama!_]

Jaemin tilts his head. [_Why not Papa?_]

[_Jisung’s_ _Papa still out there!_] boy explains, eyes sparkling in determination.

* * *

_It’s dark, damp, and cold. Jaemin can sense the low roof and the thick walls around the small room. It’s a dungeon; how he’s certain of that, he has no idea, as he’s never been to one._

_He knows it’s a dream, yet, he cannot bring himself to wakefulness._

_He can feel someone is there with him, his sharp senses picking up the movement of air from someone breathing in his periphery. He tries to call out to them, yet he has no voice. He tries to approach them, but he’s rooted on the spot._

_Suddenly, a deep, loud wail springs out from the vicinity of the person in the dungeon with him. It’s a heart-wrenching howl; the cries of someone in excruciating pain._

_At that moment, Jaemin can feel his limbs regain movement, and so he approaches the suffering man. _

_His eyes pick up a strange weird luminescence, but before he can come any closer, it’s as if invisible walls come out from nothingness, barring him from helping. He can somewhat make out his faint outline. He’s spread out upright, probably chained to one of the walls._

_Jaemin tries to call out, banging on the barriers, but nothing works. Since he has no voice, he cannot use his magic._

_The strange luminescence comes out again in patterns across the man’s body; a torture curse? Where the words brand magic fire across the skin it touches, never damaging the skin, yet the pain isn’t any less real._

_From the faint light, he can make out pale hair, a tall nose, and a somewhat broad built. He can’t make out much of any defining features, yet he can somewhat see the shape of horns coming out from the man’s temples; curving sharply upwards from the base and standing up straight, tapering until the tip, about as long as Jaemin’s hand._

_A demon?_

_Suddenly, red eyes meet Jaemin’s head-on, and the screams cut-off, despite the curse being activated and burning the man._

[Someone… there…?]

_Jaemin wants to reach out, yell out “_Yes! I’m here!”_ And yet, his voice is still caught in his throat, unable to come out._

[Help… me… Save… my son…]

* * *

Jaemin wakes up with a gasp, eyes immediately flying to Jisung, hoping he hadn’t woken up the boy. Seeing the boy still sleeping, he shakes his head and closes his eyes, trying to remember the dream more clearly.

“What in the Nine Gods’ names was that?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone hadn't noticed. I got rid of chapter titles, because I realized, since this is an adventure fantasy fic which has some traveling included, I might run out of lyrics before I even get halfway through the fic, so I decided to Google translate "first chapter, second chapter" in French and called it a day. This fic got put on the back burner, and I'm sorry for the ones who were really interested in it and get left hanging for like, a month. I'll try to be more consistent, but a lot had happened the past few weeks and I'm still pretty busy until the next few weeks. Hopefully, I won't take another 3 weeks before updating this.


	3. Troisième Chapitre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early that morning, Jaemin goes out to the temple for guidance regarding his dream from last night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 26th birthday to me!

Early that morning, Jaemin goes out to the temple of the God of Healing and Prophecy for guidance regarding his dream from last night.

“Oh, Great and Wise Lord Lei,” he prays, hands clasped around the stem of a lotus flower as he stands in front of the statue of one of the Nine Gods. “Please counsel me regarding my dream. Show me a sign that it was a true vision that I should pursue and not just a figment of my imagination. Tell me if I should go and look for it, or if it was just a creation of my mind.”

With that, he does a deep bow, before putting his lips lightly on the flower, and throwing it into one of the gigantic golden basins meant to collect flower offerings of those seeking the counsel of the god.

Afterward, he visits the temple of the Patron of Messengers as well as Adventurers like him: the God of Traveling. He pauses in front of the imposing statue standing beside the edge of a cliff.

“Benevolent God of Travelers, thank you for your guidance in bringing my son and I home safely,” he mutters, taking out a handful of winged seeds from his pouch.

“I pray for your continued guidance as I embark on other journeys, Lord Kai.” He throws the seeds towards the cliff, where the wind picks them up to bring them to take root somewhere else.

He thinks of visiting the gods who had bestowed him Divine Protection as well, but it feels like he’s been gone from the Inn for too long, and Jisung might be looking for him already, and so he decides to make that a task for later as he turns to head home.

And he’s right. When he gets to the Inn, he can hear Jisung’s agitated whimpering as he enters the kitchen from the back entrance once again.

“Oh, thank the Gods you’re back,” Taeil says, turning towards Jaemin when he hears the door shut. “He woke up some minutes ago and was upset he couldn’t find you,” he explains, referring to the small boy in his arms who were reaching out for Jaemin the moment they met eyes.

The moment the child is out of his hands, Taeil starts preparing breakfast for Jaemin and Jisung, leaving the two behind to talk in privacy.

[_Did you get scared that I wasn’t there when you woke up?_] Jaemin asks once he’s gotten ahold of Jisung, who nods and buries further into his collarbones as his tiny hands grab tightly to Jaemin’s tunic.

[_I’m sorry; I did some praying,_] he explains. [_I’ll just take you with me next time. Would you like that?_]

He gets another nod in response.

* * *

Jaemin gets the answer to his prayers a few days later. He’s back to the temples with Jisung in tow, this time visiting the other Gods he has an affinity with.

[_This here is the Temple of _Lord Suho_,_] Jaemin explains, handing the boy on his hip a small waterskin. He helps Jisung tip it, emptying the skin into one of the gold basins in front of the temple. [_He’s the God of Water, the Patron of sailors and family. Do you know Him?_]

Jisung seems to think deeply, before nodding. [_Yes, but other name. Junmian-shinnim._]

“That’s right, the gods have different names in different places,” Jaemin murmurs, smiling at Jisung as the boy beams at him for emptying the waterskin without spilling too much of the water onto the cobblestones.

[_He’s one of the gods who gave me Their _Divine Protection. _They gave me my magic._]

[_Holy Blessing?_] Jisung asks, eyes wide. [_Jisung have Holy Blessing._]

The information surprises Jaemin; the gods hardly bestow demons Divine Protection, with how naturally strong and intrinsically magical they already were as a race.

[_Really?_] Jaemin asks. [_Who gave you your _Divine Protection?]

[_Yixing-shinnim, He healer,_] Jisung explains, happy to share something about himself to his Mama. [_Jisung have healer magic._]

Jaemin feels his heart drop. ‘_Lord Lei,_’ he prays in his mind, his heart suddenly beating quickly. ‘_Is this the sign I was asking You for?_’

He decides to mull on it further later on when he notices Jisung look at him curiously. "Mama okay?"

“Yes, Mama is okay,” Jaemin reassures the boy with a proud smile, fixing his hold onto the boy as he takes the skin and reties it to his belt.

[_It’s just that Mama visited _Lord Lei_ yesterday. If I had known you have His _Divine Protection_, I would have waited to visit Him today with you._]

Seeing the boy pout, he adds, [_Let’s visit Him later together, how about that?_]

Jisung nods, his smile shy, before wrapping his hands around Jaemin’s neck for a hug.

Jaemin feels his heart flutter.

_Ah, if this is what being a parent feels, no wonder my parents had two._

They give short prayers of thanks to the Water God before moving on.

They pause at a temple made of stone that had plants growing on it. Jaemin cuts off one of the vines hanging above them and goes to one of the benches nearby.

[_This is the temple of _Lord Dio,] Jaemin says as he takes a seat, putting Jisung on his lap. He starts to braid the vine into a simple wreath. [_He is the God of Earth and Strength, Patron of Creation and Destruction. What do you call Him in the demon kingdoms?_]

Jaemin smiles at the pensive frown Jisung makes whenever he is thinking. [_Earth is Qingzhu-shinnim!_]

“Very good,” Jaemin compliments as he stands up with his finished wreath.

[_It’s thanks to _Lord Dio’s Divine Protection_ that Mama can do this,_] he says, before proceeding to lift the stone bench they were sat on for demonstration.

Jisung lets out sounds of amazement as he claps his hands together. [_Mama strong!_]

“Yes, Mama is strong,” he agrees, approaching the temple to hang the wreath on one of the wooden rods installed in front of the temple.

They both bow their head in prayer.

The next temple they visit was built like a narrow bell tower.

[_This is _Lord Chen’s _temple, the God of Lightning, and the Patron of Administration and Judgment. What's the name of his that you know, Jisung?_]

[_Jisung know Zhongda-shinnim, Mama!_] Jisung says, looking awed as he tries to see the top of the tower.

They pass by the shrine offering talismans for the health and safety of children, as Lord Chen is known to be fond of them. Jaemin makes a mental note to make some and bless them for Jisung, for the times that Jaemin is away on a job and he can’t watch over him.

Upon reaching the top, they are greeted by a massive golden bell, with a long rope hanging down beside it. Most people use two hands, or the help of another, to ring the bell, but with Lord Dio’s Divine Protection, Jaemin is able to do it with one, his hand wrapped around both of Jisung’s as they pull the rope together. Despite the immense size, the tinkling sound the bell emits is soft and delicate.

Before they leave, Jaemin heads to the back of the temple to a sandpit that priests of Lord Chen use to make talismans by shooting lightning at the sand to make lightning glass.

Because of his Divine Protection, he automatically received the position of High Priest, and thus holds authority in the temples of his Patron Gods. He introduces Jisung to the Priests present, aiming to give a good impression in hopes of them seeing his son in a favorable light. It’ll do well for Jisung to have many respectable friends and allies as a demon child among mostly human citizens.

He makes some lightning glass, blesses the pieces, and makes a talisman from the materials in the temple.

“Here, Jisung,” Jaemin calls, passing the necklace over Jisung’s head, careful of his horns, to settle around the boy’s neck.

[_These are talismans to protect and bless you. Always wear them, especially when I am away for work, do you understand?_]

Jisung nods. “Yes, Mama.”

Jisung looks at him expectantly, and Jaemin wants to cry. “You’re learning so quickly every day, soon you won’t need me anymore!” He exclaims, hugging the boy to his chest.

They say their farewells to the Priests before heading to their final destination.

On their way, they pass by temples of the other gods: Lord Siumin, the God of Ice, Patron of Winter Prosperity and Laborers; Lord Baekhyun, the God of Light, Patron of the Sun and Music; the God of Fire and War, Lord Chanyeol, Patron of soldiers and arts; Lord Kai, the God of Travelling, Patron of Messengers and Adventurers; and Lord Sehun, the God of Wind and the Patron of harvests and wilderness.

Finally, they arrive at the temple of Jisung’s Patron, Lord Lei.

Jaemin puts Jisung down before taking two lotus flowers from one of the water-filled vases, passing one to the boy before leading him to the seated statue of the god.

Both bow their heads for their prayers.

‘_Wise Lord Lei, I have returned once again. Yesterday, I asked You for a sign, about the demon in my dreams, and today my son Jisung says he has Your Divine Protection. Is this it, My Lord? Is this the sign?’_

Jaemin sighs through his nose. He’ll have to think about Jisung’s Divine Protection. Which reminds him.

_'Nonetheless, thank You for Your tireless guidance of my son. I ask for Your continuous fondness for him. I will be forever grateful._’

He opens his eyes to see Jisung looking up at him, patiently waiting for his Mama to finish praying.

They throw their prayer-laden flowers into a basin, before returning to the Inn.

* * *

_Jaemin is back at the dungeon. He doesn’t waste time, immediately seeking the demon chained to the far wall. Just like the last time, an invisible barrier stops him from getting closer._

_He sees the torture curse activate, yet the prisoner only lets out a soft and shaky groan. When the cursed light dims, the demon whispers with his hoarse voice. _

_[_Please… you there… Please…_]_

I am here! _Jaemin shouts with his mind, frustrated with his lack of voice. _I am here!

_The demon continues to whisper pleas to the empty room._

_[_Please… save… my son… Save… my Jisung…_]_

* * *

Jaemin’s eyes shoot open, his heart rabbiting in his chest.

He pulls at Jisung’s curled sleeping form, holding his son to him.

_Well_. There’s the sign Jaemin’s been asking for, it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I held a poll yesterday regarding which fic/AU I would update for my birthday, and, surprising, You Are My Sunshine won! Thank you for those who voted on the poll!  
And yes, EXO are the Nine Gods. Fite me.


	4. Quatrième Chapitre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One day, Jaemin asks the inevitable.  
[Jisung, what does your Papa look like?]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated twice in one month. A miracle. And I tweaked it a bit to make some things easier to understand.  
Reminders:
> 
> [_means they're speaking in demon language, which is also the language humans with Divine Protection use to do magic_]
> 
> '_means internal monologue_'

One day, Jaemin asks the inevitable.

[Baby,_ what does your _Papa _look like?_]

Jisung looks up from the potato that Taeil taught him to peel with a metal spoon.

Due to his shy nature, Jisung naturally drifted to Taeil, who does more of the unseen work at the Inn with the kitchen and administrative duties, than Yuta, who was in charge of greeting and serving the guests and customers of the restaurant, and Sicheng, who danced or acted for entertainment, when he wasn't doing the accounting or marketing of the Inn.

It might also be because Jaemin always helped at the back doing the heavy-duty errands for Taeil when he wasn't taking jobs, such as chopping up firewood, fetching water to fill the reserves, cleaning the vacated rooms, and other things that his Divine Protection can assist with.

But back to the matter at hand.

Jisung blinks at Jaemin, and the adventurer can't help but squeal internally at how cute his little demon baby is. They've been together for some weeks now, yet, Jaemin still finds something new to fawn over Jisung every day.

"Jisung's Papa's face?" The boy asks, brows scrunching, trying his best to remember.

"Yes, baby," Jaemin encourages. "What does Jisung's Papa look like?"

"Jisung's Papa handsome," the boy starts, nodding self-assuredly.

Jaemin smiles, at a loss.

[_I'm sure your _Papa _is good-looking, _baby,_ but that doesn't really help _Mama _much._]

Jisung looks up, recalling his father's face and what words in WesCon he knows that he can use.

"Hmm... Papa have Jisung's hair," Jisung begins, eyes closed probably to help him imagine his father's features. "But... little? On ears, and many on top?"

He seems to be having difficulty in WesCon, and reverts to demon language.

[_Papa have big horns, color like Jisung's._]

Jisung seems to remember something funny, as he giggles.

[_What's funny, _Jisungie?]

The boy continues to giggle as he says, "Papa have big nose!"

Jaemin chuckles at Jisung's continuous laughter. "What, like Uncle Yuta?"

Jisung shakes his head. "No, big here."

He points at the top of the bridge, then moves his finger forward, then sharply moves inward to his philtrum.

"Oh, baby, we call that a tall nose," Jaemin explains. "Like Uncle Taeil's family, Mr Bin, remember, from the gate?"

Jisung nods, before going back to thinking.

"Papa have big eyes, but when smile, like moons!"

"Smiling eyes and a tall nose? My, your Papa sounds very handsome indeed, Jisungie," Taeil comments, taking the potatoes Jisung and Jaemin have finished peeling.

Jisung nods, picking up another potato to peel.

"Other say Papa handsomest demon, that why Papa King."

Jaemin freezes at the last word.

That's right, Jisung was a prince of the kingdom he'd fled, and if the man in Jaemin's dreams _really_ was Jisung's father, then Jisung was the Crown Prince.

Jaemin realizes the danger Jisung is actually in, and he fears for his son's life, but he hides that apprehension and keeps a smile on his face.

He'll sacrifice his own life to keep Jisung safe, he swears it to the Nine Gods.

* * *

_Jaemin's dream that night is different from usual. _

_For one, it's not just him and the demon chained to the far wall._

_There are about five or six other demons spread all over the dungeon, of differing ages and sizes. Some are facing away, towards what can Jaemin now see is probably the entrance to the cell, while the others are facing the prisoner._

_What he sees makes his body shake and his heart drop to his stomach._

_The emprisoned demon chained to the wall was tall and well-built; that much was still obvious, even when he was weakened and hurting from the torture curse._

_As if summoned, the curse activates, and the demon raises his head in a pained grimace._

_Jaemin sees then, his face._

_The pursed and pale thin lips, the tall nose scrunched in pain, the eyes crinkled into crescent moons from the pain, and the sharp, tall horns on his temples, as black as onyx; probably the biggest and most imposing Jaemin has seen on any demon in his short 20 years of life, and he's seen a lot, being an adventurer._

_The curse ends, and suddenly, a pair of blood-red eyes focus towards his direction, seemingly able to meet his._

_Jaemin steps forward as if to help, but the demon, _Jisung's Papa_, shakes his head in negative, pretending he was only shaking off the effects of the curse._

_Behind him, the groan of metal grating against stone fills the dungeon, and more demons come inside. Leading them is seemingly an older demon, larger than most of the others, yet his small horns seem so minuscule compared to his size everywhere else._

_[_Oh, Jeno,_] the demon rumbles. [_Still keeping up with the tough act?_]_

_[_Uncle Jeomda..._] Jisung's father, Jeno, spits out, red eyes burning in rage._ _[_I should have... known... it was you... And it's _King Jeno_... to you._]_

_[_You're not King, anymore, Nephew. I am!_] The older roars, swinging a large fist, shaking the whole room as he hits a wall._

_Jeno chuckles, a condescending smile on his pale lips._ _[_Do you really think... the Kingdom will accept... a _Small Horn_ like you... as their King? The moment... they deal with the elves... you've strong-armed into working for you... it'll all be over..._]_

_[_And who would help you? All your retainers are either dead or imprisoned along with you. Give it up, nephew, there's no hope for you!_]_

_And with that, the older demon turns to leave, taking the other demons and the light with them._

_Silence engulfs them, before--_

_[_You... heard that...?_]_

Yes! Yes, I did!_ Jaemin tries to send with his mind. He's voiceless in these dreams, anyway, and the other never sees or hears him, so he's stopped trying to speak. _

_[_Please... Keep Jisung safe... He is... my last... hope._]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference:  
[Jaemin](https://img1.kpopmap.com/2018/04/jaemin-black-on-back-outside.jpg)  
[Jeno](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWTYnuzUcAAJezB.jpg)  
This [Jisung](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZWhU_4X0AAtK1t.jpg) but platinum blonde  
Regarding languages and Continents:
> 
> -Western Continental/WesCon is the common vernacular among cities in the Western Continent, somewhat like English IRL. Humans mostly inhabit the West, which is the largest continent. Without Divine Protection, humans have absolutely no magic either use demon language or dwarven technology to do magic.
> 
> -The Northern Continent is the smallest continent. It's mostly ice and rocks, and barely habitable. It's also called Gods' Hall, as the continents believe this is where the Gods reside, although no one can confirm because everyone who goes to explore there never returns.
> 
> -The Central Continent is elf and fae territory, the second largest continent. They're the race that deals with everyone. Due to their long lives and prolific sex drives, there are so many half-elves and half-fae who go traveling and adventuring everywhere. They have natural magic and only need thought and intent to use magic, but their magic is not as strong as demons.
> 
> -Dwarves and orcs take up the Eastern Continent. They like to fight, but they do it for sport. They also make the best weapons that they sell to other races. If two kingdoms within the other continents go to war, they'll assist both. Their magic needs conduits and tools such as weapons, staffs, and wands to be wielded.
> 
> -The demons take up the Southern Continent, the smallest of the habited continents. They're notorious for infighting for power and conquering each other; the other continents stay away, even Easterners. Because of this many demons choose to be traveling nomads or seek refuge in other Continents. They're innately magical and use verbal spells, songs, and prayers. For them, mute demons are no better than magic-less humans.


	5. Cinquième Chapitre

“Uncle Yuta, that pretty!” Jisung squeals, flopping belly-down onto the floor next to his uncle, who was busy painting the silhouette of the Boom City gates at night under a red moon on the paper he had propped on the floor.

“Thank you, baby boy,” Yuta says, dipping his brush and letting go to run his hands momentarily through Jisung’s silvery locks.

He then grabs a smaller piece of the thin white paper, a spare brush, and an unused ink plate, grinding the wet inkstone to make the pigment.

“Here you go, squirt, try and have a go next to Uncle, yeah?” Yuta says, handing the items over.

The boy thanks Yuta with a squeal, before falling into the task with complete concentration.

“Really, Yuta, thanks so much for watching over him,” Jaemin says as he drops by momentarily, a huge pile of firewood in his arms as he passes by them in the empty restaurant on his way to stock up their best rooms.

They’d planned to empty the inn this week, not accepting bookings that stayed past the day before yesterday. They also didn’t open the restaurant. Every few months, they house some important people who can’t intermingle with simply anyone, and so the inn is reserved for them alone.

“No worries, Jisung’s a good boy,” Yuta replies, smiling up at his brother. “Which isn’t something I could say about our impending visitors.”

“Shush!” Sicheng hisses, frantically walking past them on his way to the office with stacks of papers in hand. “He might hear! You don’t know if he’s sent some of his familiars to eavesdrop!”

“He’s not that bad, just enthusiastic,” Taeil pipes in with his pile folded bedclothes on the way to the same room Jaemin was to go to.

“Mama, who coming?” Jisung asks, looking up from his drawing of what seems to be a demon knight.

“Oh, just--”

Before Jaemin finishes, the door of the inn is kicked open, and a young man with brown, curly hair strides inside.

“**HELLO**~!” He yells, his high tenor voice reverberating around the room.

“_Hyuck_, what have I said about just barging into the Inn _every single time_?”

“But Mark! Just doing it like normal people is boring!”

As the visitor, referred as Mark, enters, Taeil, Sicheng, and Yuta, kneel with a knee to the floor.

“_Your Royal Highness_!” They say, stopping in their activities.

Jaemin stays standing where he is, an apologetic expression on his face. Jisung is hiding behind him, peeking now and again from his elbow, looking curiously up at the newcomers.

“Everyone, please st--”

“Your Royal Highness, we apologize for the mess,” Taeil interjects, eyes on the floor. “We weren’t expecting you so soon.”

Sicheng and Yuta are about to express their own apologies when they’re suddenly pulled up to their feet by a smiling, very tall man with them.

“Really, everyone, this happens every time we visit,” a slender, beautiful man chides in front of them.

“Thank you, Taeyong, Johnny,” the man referred to as His Royal Highness– Mark– says, appreciative.

“And they’re right, please just treat me normally when I’m here,” he adds.

The loud curly-haired man scoffs out a laugh. “Yeah, Mark’s not all that great anyway.”

Jaemin, who had discarded the wood he was holding to pick up Jisung instead, hit him on the head lightly (lightly for Jaemin, that is, but hard for everyone else).

“He may be your fiancé but he is still the Grand Duke, Haechan,” he says, nagging. “You’re going to give Yuta a heart attack with you disrespecting His Royal Highness every time you visit.”

“_Please_ just call me Mark,” the Grand Duke begs weakly behind them.

“Forget about Mark!” Haechan says, shaking off the pain in his head to focus on Jisung hiding his face against Jaemin’s shoulder. “Is this him? Is this your baby?”

“Yeah, this is Jisung.” Jaemin smiled fondly at his boy.

[_Can you greet them for _Mama, Jisung? _They’re our new visitors._]

“H-Hello, welcome to Paradise…” Jisung trails off, before smushing his face back on his Mama’s shoulder.

Haechan whines out a coo, unable to handle the cuteness.

[_Aren’t you the cutest? Your _Mama_ is so lucky to have you!_]

Jisung gasps, hearing another human who knows demon language, just like his Mama.

[_You can speak, too?_]

[_Yeah, but I’m a warlock, not an adventurer like your _Mama._ I’m a healer, not a fighter._]

“Jisung healer, too!”

Haechan’s eyes widen as he lets out a gasp. “Oh, we’re gonna have so much fun together!”

Someone clears their throat, and all eyes focus on the still smiling tall man. “Now, Hyuckie, before you plan on doing anything, how about we get checked in first?”

That signals the restart of flurry of activities, Yuta ushering the new arrivals to their rooms as Sicheng transfers up Yuta’s and Jisung’s paintings and materials to the office while Taeil continues to restock the rooms, Jaemin helping in taking in their luggage.

Haechan takes one of Jisung’s hands and entertains the boy in his and Mark’s room in the inn’s only suite, with stories of his everyday life in the Grand Duke’s manor, as well as showing and teaching him simple and easy healing spells, until everyone has settled in the receiving area, the visitors resting and conversing as Taeil works in the kitchen, Yuta finishing the art pieces he has begun, and Sicheng finishing the restocking of the rooms.

Jaemin arrives to take Jisung to the kitchen with Taeil, before returning to their visitors with some refreshments.

“Really, thank you for getting here so quickly,” he starts, pouring them the cool sweetened tea that Taeil and Jisung developed the recipe together. “I’m sorry for the bother.”

“It’s fine, Jaemin,” the beautiful man, Taeyong, says. “It’s almost time we visited anyway, and Mark honestly needed the break from work.”

“But from what I understand, it seems like it’s work we came here for,” the tall man, Johnny, says.

“It’s about Jisung, right?” Grand Duke Mark asks, hands clasped around his tankard of sweet tea. “And how you got him?”

“Yes,” Jaemin agrees with a nod. “About the kingdom which he came from as well.”

“If I assumed right, I think I know who his father might be,” Haechan suddenly says, staring into the plate of cookies Jaemin brought them to snack while they with for lunch.

“It’s the Onyx Kingdom Big Horn, Je… Je– what was it? Je–”

“It’s Jeno,” Jaemin cuts him off, eyes down, “King Jeno.”

“Did Jisung tell you?” Mark asks, and at Jaemin’s negative shake of the head, he continues, “Then who?”

“My dreams,” Jaemin murmurs, forehead wrinkled in thought. “My dreams told me.”

* * *

“Uncle Ilie, who the people came?” Jisung asks as he helps his uncle chop vegetables.

Jisung is now allowed to help with the peeling with a paring knife, but Taeil still deems his hands too clumsy for a bigger knife needed for chopping the harder and tougher meats and vegetables, so Jisung is currently relegated to the mushrooms, celery, and parsley needed for their beef stew.

“Oh, they’re the Grand Duke and some of his court members,” Taeil explains. “The Grand Duke is the ruler of the state that Boom City belongs to, and he’s the one who approves the jobs the adventurers like Jaemin go to.”

“Grand Duke is like King like Papa?” Jisung asks, busy with his vegetable that he doesn’t notice Taeil’s sudden stop. “And Johnny is like [_retainers_] like Ddoie and Hyun?”

“Uh… Yeah, Jisung, you could say that…”

Jisung nods in acceptance, before he smiles up at his uncle. “Mushrooms finish!”

“Oh, you’re done? Great job, Jisung!”

* * *

That evening, as Jaemin puts Jisung to sleep in their room, he returns to the restaurant, still occupied by his family and their visitors.

“Pardon my forwardness, Your Royal Highness, I think now is a good time to share what Jisung told me earlier,” Taeil begins, eyes looking at everyone before settling on the Grand Duke.

“Jisung was asking who you are, and when I told him you were the ruler of the state, Jisung asked if you were similar to his father, who was a king, and if Johnny was like “Ddoie” and “Hyun” who are [_retainers_], if I remember what he said correctly.”

“He called Johnny a retainer?” Haechan asked, curious. “Then I was right, his father is the Onyx King; he’s the only one who’s strong enough magically to have more than one retainer.”

“And that’s where things get complicated,” Taeyong says, his handsome face marred with worry.

“Our contacts from the Central Continent reported that a sizeable settlement of elven and fae halflings at their southern border was attacked and has been missing since some months ago, just before we received news that the Onyx Demon Kingdom is in the middle of an uprising. It’s a little crazy down South right now.”

“Around the time I got Jisung,” Jaemin nods, troubled. “And by Onyx King, you meant the color of his horns?”

“I’m not actually sure–” Haechan cuts himself off. “How did you know that?”

“I told you, I get these dreams sometimes,” Jaemin says, not looking at his brother and in-laws. He didn’t mean to hide it from them, but before this, he tried not to think too much of his dreams.

“I see and hear him, and sometimes I feel like he knows when I’m there.”

“But you don’t have Lord Lei’s Divine Protection, how could you have foresight?” Yuta asks.

“But _Jisung_ does,” Sicheng disagrees. “Jisung has Lord Lei’s Divine Protection.

“I pulled a muscle while preparing for a performance once and he was able to heal it for me, saying he has [_Yixing-shinnim’s_] blessing. His Divine Protection must be strong enough that it’s affecting Jaemin when they dream because they share a bed.”

“That’s possible,” Mark hums, face creased as he thinks.

“So, when are you going to SoCon?” Haechan asks, closing his eyes and leaning back into his chair as he stretches. At the sudden quiet, he sits up straight.

“What? Don’t tell me you weren’t planning on going?”

Jaemin lets out a sigh. “I admit, I’ve thought about it, but I don’t really have the resources or manpower to rescue someone from their own dungeon, much less fight off his uncle and his captive elves to get his kingdom back.”

“_What_–” Mark splutters, almost spilling the cool tea he was drinking. “Wait, so you’re saying that the missing halflings are possibly being used in a demon kingdom uprising?”

Jaemin looks at them with wide eyes. “I… I don’t know? I just heard the King Jeno in my dreams tell his uncle he knows the elves involved were forced to fight.”

“You can’t not go, Jaemin,” Taeyong implores, eyes slightly teary. “The Elf and Fae Kings have been looking for these halflings everywhere, they’ve even asked me for assistance to look here in the West because I have a high position despite being fae.

“It’s not just a Demon kingdom’s infighting anymore if they’re using kidnapped citizens of other kingdoms.”

“I’m sure Prince Renjun or Prince Yangyang can help you get in touch with their fathers,” Sicheng adds. “I’ll be the one to send word; CenCon receivers tend to prioritize messages from even part-elves like me over most humans.”

“Am I really…” Jaemin falters, apprehensive. “But I can’t just– what about Jisung? He gets so anxious if he doesn’t know where I am; I can’t make him think he lost a third parent so soon.”

“Maybe you can take him with you?” Johnny suggests. “He’s the Crown Prince, if his people know he’s alive, they might be more willing to fight back at the usurpers?”

“And he’ll get to learn along the way,” Haechan adds. “Just because he’s Crown Prince now, doesn’t mean he’ll be king in the future. The Onyx’s crown the Big Horns as their kings. The bigger horns the demon has, the stronger his magic is.”

Jaemin nods distractedly. “Yeah, I’ve seen them, King Jeno’s horns are about a foot long each.”

“Oooh, he’s a really _big_ Daddy!”

“_Bless the Nine_, Haechan, now is not the time!” Johnny reprimands.

“I just…”

“Jaemin,” Mark calls, eyes serious. “I’m giving you the week we’re visiting here to consider.

“On the day we leave, you are either staying here, and will not participate in any way, shape, or form, or you will be coming back to Mad City with me to prepare to travel to the Central Continent and ask for help from the Elven and Fae Courts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this on and off in 3 hours. My head hurts and I've been feeling unwell since the 2nd so it took its time, sorry about that, folks. 
> 
> References:  
[Taeil reference](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/c7/78/f7c77830646ada8aef37d0e4f3ea31df.jpg)  
[Yuta reference](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/75/c9/d9/75c9d9797b40dc1c16d1f3dae7b1944c.jpg)  
[Sicheng reference](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EIWzNfUXUAE1lkC.jpg)  
[Mark reference](https://data.whicdn.com/images/336500451/original.jpg)  
[Haechan reference](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EY7tmS0UcAYLVhY.jpg)  
[Taeyong reference](https://lastfm.freetls.fastly.net/i/u/770x0/e219eed4dd82ae407e022ca1a40b9524.jpg)  
[Johnny reference](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/ef/7d/a3ef7d6f22c94edd854357fc89e2a420.jpg)


	6. Sixième Chapitre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A decision is reached. Some important people must be contacted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a bit of a steamy, softcore kind of scene near the end of the chapter, if you want to skip it, it's sandwiched between two (━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━) borders.

"Jisung," Jaemin murmurs, sitting on the bed as he dresses his son the next day. The boy looks at him obediently, patiently waiting for what his Mama has to say.

"You know what Mama does, right?" He starts, still debating how to breach the subject.

"Mama hero," Jisung replies brightly, nodding.

"You can say that," he agrees, smiling slightly. He sweeps a hand down the boy's tunic, smoothing any creases or folds to make sure it falls flat and proper.

"You see, the Grand Duke has a new quest for me. For both you and I, actually."

"Where Uncle Mark want Mama and Jisung go?" the boy queries, head tilting to the side in curiosity. The informality makes Jaemin smile.

"Uncle Mark wants us to save your Papa, Baby," Jaemin confesses. When the boy freezes, Jaemin rushes to continue. "You don't have to if--"

"Please."

Jaemin watches as tears fill Jisung's eyes, but they never fall.

"We get Papa, please."

Jaemin nods, putting on a confident front despite the doubts and fears that suddenly plague him.

"Alright, Baby, the Great Adventurer Jaemin Na and his son Lee Jisung shall accept Grand Duke Minhyung's quest!"

* * *

Jaemin and Jisung come down from their room to start helping with today's chores. Since only the Grand Duke and his court were occupying the inn this week, there wasn't much to do that day. They find Taeil already in the kitchen, starting the fire.

"Good morning, my dear helpers," Taeil greets, his humour good despite the early morning.

"Morning, Uncle Ilie!" Jisung returns, running to hug the elder.

"Morning, hyung," Jaemin says, much calmer. "Is there anything you need me for?"

Taeil hums as he lifts Jisung to his tall chair, Jisung's paring knife and a small chopping block already prepared.

"We're almost low on firewood," he says, handing Jisung some bell peppers, already cored. "And I need mushrooms for lunch later.

"Can you find me some while you get timber?" Taeil asks, handing Jaemin a basket.

"Sure." Jaemin accepts the basket, dropping a kiss on Jisung's head as he passes by.

"I'll be back by the time you guys finish making breakfast, okay, Baby?"

"Okay, Mama!" Jisung looks up from the peppers he was chopping to smile at him. "Careful, please!"

"See you later, Taeil hyung!"

"I'll have your breakfast ready and waiting when you return!"

* * *

Jaemin returns to the inn with five logs trailing behind him on a cart, Taeil's basket full of mushrooms placed on top.

"I'm back," Jaemin shouts, finding Taeyong in the kitchen with Taeil and Jisung.

"Blessed be the new morning, Jaemin," Taeyong greets him in the way of the fae, looking up from the book he was poring over on the table next to Jisung.

"Blessed be the new morning, Lord Taeyong," Jaemin returns.

He hands the mushrooms to an appreciative Taeil, who replaces the basket with a platter of sausage links, fried potatoes, fried eggs, and a salad of shredded wild lettuce, peach wedges, crushed walnuts, and squash seeds with a light-coloured dressing to balance the grease.

"Oh? What's this?" He asks as he sits down on the table, referring to the salad. "This is new, but it looks good!"

"It's fae cuisine, Lord Taeyong taught me how to make it," Taeil explains, putting a plate with smaller proportions on the table next to Taeyong as he takes his own seat to eat. "I'm considering adding it to the restaurant menu during the summer."

"You can use apples, pears, or dried berries during the other seasons," Taeyong says, looking from his plate of the salad, next to slices of smoked lean meat, dry cheese, and freshly baked bread rolls. "Fae and elves cannot process animal fats as well as humans, dwarves, or orcs do, so any fae, elf, or halfling customers will appreciate you having some leaner alternates in your menu.

"I'll leave you some other fae and even elven recipes, in exchange for the recipes you've given me before," Taeyong promises. "I tried making your stew for Mark, Hyuckie, and Johnny at home, and they said it was almost like they were back here!"

Jaemin let the idle conversation wash over him as he focused on cutting and slicing Jisung's food into smaller pieces before focusing on his own breakfast.

Soon, everyone comes into the kitchen for breakfast.

During a lull in the conversation, Jaemin speaks up.

"Jisung and I have decided to accept the quest, Your Royal Highness."

Everyone stops eating, focusing on him and the Grand Duke.

The noble nods. "I understand."

"Hyung, you guys take care, alright?" Jaemin says, looking at his brother.

"Hey, this isn't the first time you go on a quest, brat," Yuta jokes, but his smile doesn't reach his eyes.

Everyone knows that this quest isn't the same as the ones he's gone to before. He didn't go to a possible war then.

"I'll send word to CenCon later today," Sicheng shares, returning to his breakfast, with noticeably less enthusiasm than before. "I'm not as sure about Fae Prince Renjun, but Elf Prince Yangyang might be reachable and have made some leeway with their fathers by the time you reach Mad City and be open to communications."

"Thank you, Sicheng," Taeyong acknowledges. "I'll help you, maybe using my name can help in reaching both of the Princes."

"Thank you, My Lord."

"That means I'm gonna have to steal your little helper during the week, Taeilie," Donghyuck joins in, smile wide. "Jisung needs to start training his Divine Protection before we leave for Mad City."

"So long as you return him in time for cooking, My Lord," Taeil gives way, a real smile returning to his lips.

* * *

That afternoon, Sicheng leads Taeyong to the inn's bar on one side of the dining hall where their Kai Console is installed. It is a magical device where people can connect to Lord Kai's system of information. All of His temples have them, as well as central information hubs like their inn, where adventurers can gather and inquire about and receive quests.

Paradise became an information hub alongside Lord Kai's temple when Jaemin decided to be an adventurer, his request for a Kai Console granted due to his rare condition of receiving Divine Protection from multiple Gods, never mind that Lord Kai wasn't one of them.

Sicheng enters the Inn's credentials, before sending word to one of the Temples in Sicheng's elven relatives' area that Lord Taeyong of the Court of Grand Duke Minhyung of Pandora would like to speak to Elf Prince Yangyang.

"They say they will try, but they cannot be sure, as they are simply a Temple in a small town," Sicheng explains. "And if we don't mind wai--"

He was cut off by a sudden succession of pinging sounds from the console.

"Well, that was fast," Sicheng notes.

"What happened?" Taeyong asks, worried.

"Communication from the Palace states that Prince Yangyang himself will contact us here in the inn in 2 days' time, and to prepare for a morning call," Sicheng relays, relieved. "That went better than expected."

"Bless the Nine," Taeyong agrees, smile wide.

* * *

And so two days fly by like that. In the mornings, Jaemin and Jisung do their chores in the inn. Jaemin spends the first day chopping firewood to last the inn for a couple of weeks, while he hunts seasonal game and forages in the surrounding forests for anything that they can smoke or dry to put in storage on the second. Jisung helps with their meals and does little errands around the inn, such as retrieving and delivering small items or spending time with their visitors in the inn or around town in inconspicuous attire.

The afternoons are taken up by their own business, Jaemin going around the different temples he's associated with, gathering information, or purchasing things they might need during the quest. He buys Jisung better clothes, made of sturdier materials that could withstand their trip to Mad City. Anything else, they could buy at the Capital, or during the trip.

Jisung spends the afternoons in the empty dining hall, learning and practising spells, and improving on what he could already do.

"I hope you're not overworking my baby, Haechan," Jaemin notes the day before the expected call. He watches them from the kitchen door as they try to revive the wilted flowers that were used as a display on the table.

"Don't worry, Nana, Jisungie is fine, right?" Donghyuck assures, ruffling the demon boy's hair, who looks up at him with a beaming smile.

Suddenly, he cocks his head to the side, before asking, "Uncle Hyuckie, why Mama call you Haechan?"

Donghyuck's smile dims a bit, before returning to its former brightness. "Because nobles like me and Mark have our real names and our noble names.

"Mark is Grand Duke Minhyung, and I'm La-- I'm Haechan," Donghyuck explains, voice steady despite his hesitation. "You'll find out more about it when we get to the palace."

He turns back to Jaemin, his expression clear again. "Now, shoo! We need to get back to our lessons!"

* * *

They start preparing for the day early; Taeil, Jisung, and Donghyuck are in the kitchen, while Sicheng, Yuta, and Jaemin prepare the dining hall for the call with Prince Yangyang.

Once everything is set up and everyone has eaten, Taeil keeps Jisung company in the kitchen, helping him with his WesCon readings, while Yuta sits in the door to be available for them if they needed him, but can still hear whatever will be said during the call. Jaemin and The Grand Duke's Court occupy the seats closest to the bar, Sicheng sat by the console to accept the call and to help translate Elven for them if needed.

When the call comes, everyone is on edge.

"HI, HI!" Came a loud, youthful voice, a wide smile occupying the entire projection.

"Step away from the console, fool," another young voice hisses. "They can't see us because of your gigantic head!"

"Boys, calm down, please," came the soft plea. "Please do not argue with your fathers present."

"What are you saying, Darling?" Refuted another. "Our sons are so entertaining right now!"

Prince Yangyang pulls away from the console to show the rest of the Royal Families, seated around a small table laden with tea and fruits.

"Yangyang, Renjun, hiiiii~!" Donghyuck suddenly shouts, standing up from his seat to jump and wave at the console.

"Fae King Kun, Elf King Ten," Mark acknowledges, wide-eyed. "It is such a wonderful surprise to have you both with us today."

"Blessed be the new morning, Grand Duke Minhyung," King Kun greets politely with a nod.

"Good morning, babies!" King Ten says with a smirk.

This earns him a smack on the shoulder from the Fae patriarch.

"Back to business," Prince Renjun sighs out, already looking weary when it looks like he hasn't even finished breaking fast yet.

"We received your request for contact some days ago," he continues after a sip of his tea. "May we know the reason?"

"We believe we've encountered information regarding the request you sent us some time ago," Taeyong starts.

Mark nods, continuing. "One of my adventurers rescued a fleeing mother and her child from a demon kingdom. Unfortunately, she passed, but the child lives."

"How is this in any way related to our request?" Ten asks, finally serious.

Mark looks at Jaemin, nodding towards the console.

"Blessed be the new morning, Your Majesties, I am the adventurer Jaemin Na," he introduces. He notices their slight reactions. It seems they know him, or at the very least, have heard about him. It is unavoidable for someone with such a famous-- or infamous-- reputation, but sometimes, Jaemin misses the times when nobody batted an eyelash when his name was mentioned.

"I was the one who found the boy and his mother. She cast a blood soul transfer spell on us with her dying breath, and now, I am the child's blood parent."

Quiet gasps and whispers filter through from the console, but he pushes through.

"He has the Divine Protection of The Healer God, and we believe his powers leak through when we sleep, sending me visions as I dream. We believe he is the Crown Prince of the Onyx Demon Kingdom, which was under a violent overtaking.

I Saw that elves were involved, and I suspect some of the halflings from the missing settlement are being forced to fight against the rightful Onyx Big Horn."

"How sure are you that your dreams are visions?" King Kun asks. "I apologize for casting doubt upon you, but it proves troublesome to trust empty promises."

"He confirmed some things for me," Donghyuck joins in. "If they weren't visions, he wouldn't have known about them otherwise."

"The usurpation was led by the rightful King's uncle, a Small Horn by the name Jeomda," Jaemin adds. "I don't know if that information will be of use to you, but--"

"It actually is," King Ten interjects. "You're right, the former Onyx Big Horn had a Small Horn brother named Jeomda; it isn't commonly known outside the Onyx Kingdom, excluding the Royal Families."

"What are you guys planning now?" Prince Yangyang asks around a mouthful of fruit. "Are you gonna go and rescue the Onyx King?"

Taeyong nods his head in agreement. "Yes, that is what the Grand Duke has decided."

"I will be sending Haechan to assist Jaemin in infiltrating the Onyx Kingdom to confirm the presence of the halflings, and to rescue some, if possible," Mark discloses.

"We shall go with you," Prince Renjun announces, tone brooking no argument. "Send word of your arrival, Yangyang, Lucas, and I will be waiting."

"Prince Renjun!" King Kun calls, tone scolding. "You cannot simply decide that for yourself!"

"They're gonna need all the help they can get, you know," Prince Yangyang argues, looking pleadingly at King Ten. "You _know_ they do."

"I understand," King Ten sighs out. At King Kun's disapproving glare, he adds. "I'm not happy about it, but I see the logic behind it!"

King Kun takes a deep breath, before letting it out slowly.

"The Fae Kingdom is nearer to the borders of the Onyx King. Our sons and Sir Lucas shall await your missive. We ask you to consider spending a few days in the kingdom to prepare for any possibilities."

"Your invitation is gratefully accepted, Your Majesty," Mark acknowledges, putting his right hand over his heart as he nods. "I shall personally accompany Jaemin and Haechan to the Fae Kingdom myself."

"We shall await your word, Grand Duke," King Kun reminds with a returning nod.

"Stay safe, babies!" King Ten adds, waving lazily.

"Fare thee well," Prince Renjun says in parting behind his cup of tea.

"Bye! See you soon!" Prince Yangyang shouts, his face filling up the console projection once more before their image blinks away from existence.

Mark sighs, slumping to the table. "Well, there you go."

Johnny stands up, stretching. "Mad City for a few days, then straight to the Fae Kingdom?"

"It appears so," Taeyong confirms sinking deeper into his chair.

"Yay, extended vacation!" Donghyuck jumps up and cheers, shaking Jaemin who was still sat in front of him.

"Why do you look so happy, facing possible death?" He complains, slapping the hands away when he starts feeling dizzy.

"I gotta get all the excitement in my life before Mark and I get married and I can't leave the castle as much," Donghyuck whines.

He pauses, before running to the kitchen.

"Taeilie, the call made me hungry again!" His voice rings out throughout both rooms. "Do you still have some of those sausages?"

* * *

"We leave for Mad City tomorrow," Taeyong says at breakfast two days later. "Is everything ready?"

Jaemin nods. "Yes; Jisung and I are packed and ready to go."

"Send word when you get there," Yuta reminds, ruffling Jaemin's hair with the hand not holding his fork. "Even just a brief message on the Kai Console."

"Gods, yeah, okay, just stop!"

**━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━━━**

_Hot; everything Jaemin feels is hot. His quick, shallow breaths leave him in warm puffs, the hands wrapped around his tiny waist burn on his damp skin, the lips sear kisses down his neck._

_He feels so _full_._

_A black clawed-hand pulls lightly at his hair to make room for more kisses, and a moan escapes him._

_[_You're doing so well, Love,_] says the other, breathless. [_You always feel so good._]_

_[_It's because… you're so good to me,_] Jaemin replies, whimpering as pleasure blooms deep inside him._

_He presses a kiss to a sweaty forehead, between two black stumps where before stood two great onyx horns._

_[_Both to me… and to our beautiful baby, My King…]

**━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━━━**

Jaemin springs to wakefulness, feeling the flush lingering from his… dream? Fantasy? Vision?

He's not sure if the dream was a vision, like the rest, or just a product of his mind. It was so _different_ from the rest.

It could just be his frustrations from not having privacy anymore, but then again, the King Jeno of _that_ dream had looked different.

He curled into a small ball where he sat, still red, and slightly mortified.

_'Gods, at the very least, I hope it was only me,'_ Jaemin silently prays. _'I won't be able to meet his eyes when we meet, otherwise.'_

He turns to Jisung next to him, running a hand on his hair, before pulling the blanket back over the boy's shoulder.

He hopes his son sleeps well tonight. Tomorrow will be the beginning of a new adventure.


	7. Septième Chapitre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They head out for Mad City before the sun is up.

They head out for Mad City before the sun is up. Jaemin mounts their things on his horse, Accent*, before getting on himself, then reaching out for Jisung who fell back asleep in Taeil's arms.

Yuta and Sicheng help Johnny in checking over Grand Duke Mark, Donghyuck, and Lord Taeyong on their own respective horses, before the orc gets on his own massive beast.

Jaemin looks at his family, trying to keep a smile on his face.

"We'll be going now!" He says in farewell. "Don't miss me too much!"

"We won't," Yuta replies.

Everyone knows they will. No one is sure if Jaemin and Jisung will be able to return, after all.

"Thank you for lending me Jaemin, once again," the Grand Duke says. "I'll do everything to keep him and Jisung safe."

"You always do, Your Royal Highness," Taeil acknowledges.

"Take care, may the Gods smile on you," Sicheng blesses.

And with that, they're off.

Mad City is not that far away from Boom City, just a day and a half away by horse on a casual trot.

A few hours after they pass the gates of Boom City, Jisung finally wakes up.

"Good morning, Baby," Jaemin greets when his son blinks up at him. He laughs at the tiny, scrunched face and little whimpers, a small fist rubbing at his eyes.

"Is this the first time he's leaving Boom City since you found him?" Donghyuck asks from his horse beside them. He returns the small wave Jisung sends him at hearing his voice.

"Yeah," Jaemin agrees. "I've gone on short quests, usually a day or less, but he always stayed back in the inn."

"After lunch, we're going to ride faster and try to get to Limitless before dark," Mark instructs.

Jaemin looks around and notices something.

"Uh, can we stop for a moment?" Jaemin asks. "Jisung and I just need to do something important."

"What is it?" Taeyong inquires.

"Jisung's mother's grave is nearby," he explains, making Accent go faster to lead the way. "I would like him to visit her, since we'll be gone from here for a while."

"Yes, it's fine," Mark nods, following Jaemin's lead.

"That's sweet of you," Johnny comments, a small smile on his face.

"Well, I wouldn't have him if it wasn't for her," Jaemin points out.

[Baby, _we're visiting Miss Yeeun before we leave,_] he says, running a hand through Jisung's hair.

[_Mama?_] Jisung asks, eyes wide.

"Let's say goodbye to her before we leave, hm?"

"Okay!"

Soon enough they arrive at her grave. Using Lord Dio's Divine Protection, he managed to dig a grave of decent depth, and covered it with a large boulder and some smaller, yet still sizeable rocks, to make sure she stays undisturbed. With the help of Lord Chen's blessing, he'd put some lightning glass to distinguish her from other mounds nearby.

"Here we are."

Jaemin pulls Accent to a stop, and gets down before taking Jisung with him.

"I think this is a good place for lunch," the Grand Duke notes. "You take all the time you need, we'll just be here, okay?"

"Thank you," Jaemin replies sincerely.

They go and pay their respects to Jisung's biological mother. Jaemin takes his waterskin, and together, he and Jisung pour some water over her grave, saying their prayers to Lord Suho.

"Lord Suho, Patron of Families," Jaemin mutters. "Please let Miss Yeeun know that I will take care of her family."

He leaves Jisung to his prayers while he picks some wildflowers. When he returns, he hands some to Jisung and they lay their offerings down as they pray to Lord Dio.

"Lord Dio, Patron of Life and Death, please watch over Jisung's family, both living and dead."

Afterwards, he lets Jisung tell her everything that's happened to him since he left, before they decide that she has been updated enough. They say their farewells, before returning to the others.

They have a quick, yet fulfilling meal of some bread, meats, and cheese, as well as fruit that they picked from trees nearby.

They wash their hands and refill their skins at the river nearby, before returning to their road.

Just as Mark instructed, they let their horses run faster, leaving the forest bordering Boom City to the long roads towards the town of Limitless.

Jaemin is surprised Jisung manages to have his regular afternoon nap despite being jostled by Accent's swift pace.

Just before the sun sets, they enter the premises of Limitless, and head on to a more residential area of the town.

"We'll be staying with one of my friends tonight," the Grand Duke explains. "Tomorrow, we'll continue to head on to Mad City by carriage."

Jaemin is about to ask why this detour is necessary before he catches sight of Donghyuck pulling up his cowl in front of him, and remembers.

"Oh, that's right," he murmurs.

"Baby," he calls for Jisung's attention. [Uncle Hyuckie_ is going to tell you his secret tonight, yeah? Can you promise to keep it for him, and never tell anyone else until the right time comes?_]

Jisung tilts his head in confusion, before he suddenly looks determined. [_I promise _Uncle Hyuckie _later, in name of Zhongda-shinnim!_]

[_You will swear an oath to the God of Judgment?_] He confirms, his smile hesitant but proud. "I'm sure Donghyuck will appreciate that."

"I heard my name!" Donghyuck calls out, looking back from his horse ahead of them. "What are Mommy and baby gossiping about me this time?"

"Jisung just says he has something to tell you later," Jaemin replies vaguely.

[_You do_, Jisungie?] Donghyuck asks, curious.

[_Uhn, later_ Uncle Hyuckie!] Jisung agrees, waving from his perch in front of Jaemin.

Soon, they reach a mansion. The guard outside lets them in immediately once he spots Mark waving.

"Your Royal Highness," the man says as he bows them inside the gate. "Bless the Gods for your safe return."

"Thank you," the Grand Duke acknowledges. "Is Jaejung in?"

"Yes, the young master just arrived."

They follow Mark as he heads to one side of the mansion, where soon Jaemin sees what must be the stables. They leave the horses to the stable hands as they are led inside.

"I'll head over to the room first and wait for my stuff there," Donghyuck tells Mark from under his hood.

"I'll go with him," Taeyong volunteers. "We'll see you later."

They split up, Donghyuck and Taeyong going up, while the rest of them are led to what seems to be a parlour. Tea, cakes, and sandwiches follow them.

"The young master will come down soon, so please enjoy some tea as you wait," says the butler, as a maid takes their coats. "The maids and footmen will prepare your rooms and take care of your luggage."

They give their thanks and take a breather as they wait for Mark's friend and young master of the house, Jaejung.

It's not long before a smiling man enters. He's just a bit taller than the Grand Duke, but not as tall as Johnny. His smile widens when he catches sight of his visitors.

"Welcome back!" He says, enveloping the Grand Duke in a hug. "Everything going well?"

"Not in the slightest," Johnny says, as he accepts the handshake Jaejun offers him.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you, Jaejung," Mark starts, expression apologetic. "But you're one of the people I trust the most."

"What is it?" Jaejung asks, taking a seat in front of them.

"When the time comes, will you ride to war with me again?"

Jaejung pauses for a moment, before asking. "What happened?"

"This is the adventurer Jaemin Na," the Grand Duke introduces, pointing to Jaemin. "He is the best person to explain everything."

And like the morning with the Fae and Elven Royal families, Jaemin explains what has been happening the past few weeks.

"I see," Jaejung says, nodding. "You know I'll say yes."

"I don't want to worry the Mayor," Mark worries, referring to Jaejung's father.

"He was in the service of the former Grand Duke, you know," Jaejung points out, finishing his tea. "He'll understand."

He claps his hands. "Well, I believe you would want to rest in your rooms before supper."

They all go upstairs, parting with Jaejung as he heads to one wing, while all of them head to another.

"I'll let you and Jisung go to your rooms soon," Mark starts. "But I'd like to ask for you and Jisung to my and Donghyuck's room first."

The three of them stop at one room, while Johnny passes by them towards the next one.

"Good luck, Jisung," Johnny says as he waves, before entering his room.

Mark knocks, before calling out. "Ready?"

Taeyong opens the door and steps out. "Ready."

He looks at Jaemin, especially at Jisung in his arms.

"I'll see you at supper," he says, before stepping into the room across from Mark and Donghyuck's.

Jaemin nods at Mark to let him go in first. When they are alone, he looks Jisung in the eye.

"Remember what I said earlier, about Donghyuck's secret?" At Jisung's nod, Jaemin smiles. "Keep your promise and don't tell, okay?"

"Jisung promise," the boy answers seriously.

Jaemin smiles, before knocking.

"Sorry for intruding," Jaemin says, before opening the door.

They are greeted by Mark, sitting by the foot of the bed. He points to the folding partition on one side, where Jaemin assumes Haechan is hiding behind.

He puts Jisung down on one of the chairs in the receiving area of the room. "Ready to see Haechan?"

"Ready!"

Donghyuck, or rather, Haechan, steps out of the partition, and Jisung stays quiet as he processes what he sees.

Donghyuck's short curly hair now falls past the waist in thick chestnut waves, streaks of pastel pink, green, and purple interspersed with the more natural blonde highlights.

The dark travelling tunic and trousers are now replaced with a white chemise gown with a yellow sash, with small yellow ribbons on the sleeves and flounces of the neckline.

"What do you think, Jisungie?" Donghyuck asks, smiling through uncertainty.

After a longer pause, Jisung smiles widely. "Auntie Haechan pretty!"

The adults share hesitant glances.

"Do you understand what's happening, Baby?" Jaemin asks.

When Jisung nods, Donghyuck approaches to kneel in front of him.

"Jisungie, where Mark and I live, people think I'm still Haechan," he explains. "Only my closest friends and family know that I'm Donghyuck now.

"If they find out, that I'm a guy…" He trails off, voice shaking. "They'll take Mark away from me."

They stare into each other's eyes, before Jisung nods.

[_Lee Jisung promise to keep your secret, in name of Zhongda-shinnim._]

When Donghyuck and Jaemin gasp, Mark stands in alarm. "Why? What did he say."

"He swore an oath in the name of the Patron God of Judgment," Jaemin explains. "He told me earlier that he would, I didn't think…"

Tears form in Donghyuck's eyes as he says, "Thank you Jisungie, you're such a good boy."

"You my family," Jisung replies. "Papa say family most important."

Donghyuck sniffs, before nodding. "Yeah, and that's why we're coming to get your Papa, right?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

Later that night, Donghyuck turns to face Mark in their bed. The older is sitting up against the headboard, a tight expression on his face.

"What's got you so upset now?" Donghyuck whispers, running a finger down Mark's arms nearest him.

"It's just," Mark starts, turning his head down to look at his betrothed. "I hate that you have to hide who you really are.

"When you told me years ago, when you found out you were Donghyuck, I wanted to shout it to the world, that I was in love with such a beautiful, wonderful, powerful _boy_, but I couldn't, because if I did, I would lose you. I hate that a little boy thought he had to swear to Lord Chen to keep you a secret."

He takes Donghyuck's hand, the one leaving loving caresses down his arm.

"I don't understand how you can accept this. It is not I who is hiding who I really am, and yet, it's so difficult for me."

Donghyuck smiles, before getting up to straddle his fiancé. He holds his face in his hands, before dropping a quick kiss to his lips.

"It's because my Divine Protection gives me assurance of our future," Donghyuck reminds. "The day will come, when we have finally wed, and our dear little Sungchan is finally born, that Lady Haechan can finally give way to Lord Donghyuck, and no one will have the power to tear us apart. Just two more years."

He gives Mark another kiss, before wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

"Just two more years, and we will finally be happy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that was fellow NCTzen Jaejung Parc in there.
> 
> *A pun on the Korean words for horse, /mal/ (말) and accent, /maltu/ (말투)
> 
> Haechan's dress reference [1](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/19/e1/f5/19e1f5b0fcf4459da7c0b3bd19495a20.jpg), [2](https://1tq45j21k9qr27g1703pgsja-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/A36569.jpg)

**Author's Note:**

> Don't kill me. Here's my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/nsfdoyoung) and [CC](https://curiouscat.me/nsfdoyoung) if you really want to scold me.


End file.
